Artificial limb



Nov. 16, 1948. E. c. CARTER 2,453,969

ARTIFICIAL LIMB 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 3. 1947 .8 9 I r l I Inventor 6 25 Edwin C. Carfer Attqys Nov. 16, 1948. E. c. CARTER ARTIFICIAL LIMB Filed April 5, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Edwin 0. Carter W L i Patented Nov. 16, 1948 UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTIFICIAL LIMB Edwin 0. Carter, Rio Grande City, Tex. Application April 3, 1947, Serial No. 739,109

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in artificial limbs.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved artificial limb including a leg supporting calf portion and a foot portion connected together by means of a series of transversely extending spring elements having their opposite ends secured together as separate integral units and attached to said calf portion and foot portion.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved artificial limb including a hollow leg supporting calf portion and a foot portion connected therewith by means of a series of laterally disposed double coil springs whose protruding ends are welded together at their outermost extremities and are secured to said calf portion and foot portion by means of end encir cling clamping plates and clamping bolts extending therethrough.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved artificial limb including a hollow leg supporting calf portion and a foot portion connected therewith by means of a series of similarly formed substantially U-shaped bowed springs which extend on a common transverse plane with their opposite extremities welded together and secured to said calf portion and said foot portion by means of encircling clamping plates and assoiated clamping bolts, whereby a flexible and resilient connection will be provided between said calf portion and said foot portion to permit relative forward and backward angular movement between said portions when in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved artificial limb including a hollow leg supporting calf portion and a foot portion connected therewith, with alternately arranged double coil springs having their intermediate connecting portions angled in opposite directions and with their protruding terminal ends welded together and secured to said calf portion and said foot portion, together with means for limiting or snubbing the forward and rearward angular movement between said calf portion and foot portion while walking.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved artificial limb which will be highly efficient in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application,

Figure l is a side elevation, of the artificial limb showing partly in section the use of double coil springs connected between the calf and foot portions;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken through the artificial limb showing the use of a series of bowed substantially U-shaped springs connected between the calf portion and the foot portion of the limb;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, and

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the limb shown in Figure 4, the same being partly broken away and in section to show a slight modification in the spring connection with the foot portion.

Like characters of reference are used throughout the following specification and the accompanying drawings to designate corresponding parts.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided an improved form of artificial limb including a hollow calf portion I having a pillar block 2 in the lower end thereof, and a metallic shell 3 disposed therebelow, being open at its forward end and housing a series of rubber cushioning members 4 with their forward ends being stepped and adapted to be engaged by the coils 5 of the double coil springs 5 and B connected between said calf portion and the foot portion when said limb is used in walking. v

An inverted U-shaped clamping plate 1 is disposed below the shell 3, and cooperates with the U-shaped clamping plate 8 to support and clamp the upper terminal ends 9 of said double coil springs 5 and 6, hich are welded together at it to provide an integral unit. I A rearwardly extending snubber plate H is disposed below the clampin'gplate 8 and has its terminal end extended outwardly to provide a snubber finger I2. I v

The elongated bolts l3 and M will extend through the upper washer l5 and through the vertical apertures It in the filler block 2 and through the shell 3 and rubber cushioning members 4, and finally through the clamping plates 1 and 8 and the snubber plate ll, being secured in the desired adjustment by means of the nuts l1.

The lower series of coils 6 of the double coil springs will have 'rearwardly and horizontally extending protruding ends l8, whose tips will be welded together at l 9, being held in place between the inverted U-shaped clamping plate 20 and the U-shaped clamping plate 2| supported upon the sole plate 22 of the foot portion 23 of the limb by means of the bolts 24 and the cooperating nuts 25.

The sole plate 22 is shaped to the approximate shape of the bottom of a foot, and has an arcuate or U-shaped upwardly extending heel plate 26 attached to its rear end by means of the bolt 2'! and nut 28, the upper end of said heel plate 26 being bent forwardly and downwardly to, form a snubber keeper 29 which will overlie the snubber finger l2 for limiting the forward and rearward rocking movement between the calf portion and e the foot portion of the artificial limb.

The convolutions of the coil springs and 6 will be arranged in staggered relation, with-the portions connecting said spring-s5 and 6 extendin alternately to the right and to the left, whereby a slight sidewise movement between saidcalf. portion and said foot portion will be permitted when-walking.

The form of the artificial limb shown, in Figmics .4; 5 andnfi comprisesahollow calf portion 3! having a filler block 32 in its lower end, said block being formed with the spaced vertical; bore 33.

A washer 34 will be disposed upon the upper sunfiace 01% the block 32:, and. thepair of bolts 35 will extend therethrough and hr i boresfim;

A. pairofi; upper and lower parallel clam-pine plates 36 and 37 having downwardly bent forwardwmds; willbe supported-upon the bolts 3 being secured by the nuts 38;; and EhohQriZ-ontaI unrer ndssboi the bowed substantial y- U-shaped springs. .5. will be clamped therebetween. The re rtips of said ends 39 willbe welded together as at M} to providean integral unit,

A hollowioot-momberflwillbe formed with a ongitu inally xtending channel. '43 in its upner snriace hav n opposi el d p s d vertical s d walls 44, and a downwardly angled bottom 45 whose forwardendlfi is; angled steeper than said portion 45., and terminat sat th openns; 4 formed through the bottom ofthe foot member' Q24. The bottom or lower ends moi the springs 40 W'H'I" have their; rear extremities clamped between the angled bottom 45, and'thefiat clamping late 41!; andsecured; by 'means of the boltor-bolts 50 and nut ornate-5|: disposed through. thepioot member 42; and a hose or heel plate Won-the lower rear end thereof.

An upwardly extend-ingva-rcuate or- -U-.-shaped heel plate 5% willbe secured by the bolt 5|}, and will terminate in the forwar y and down ly extended-snubber keeper 5. to be engaged by the rearward andupwardly extending rubber-finger 55 formed on the end; of." Said clam-pingplate 55'.

' Eromtbe f regoing description, it. will be seen that. whenthe-limb is in use, the springs 40 will be flexed-downwardly -to engage the angled bottom 46 of the foot member 42. The'oppositeside walls- 44 or, the cl'ia-nnel 43.:and therfoot: member lZ-Wiill permit, of aelimitedlateral movement in the calf portion and the-footportion of the limb while, walking, and theisnubber finger 55 and the cooperating; snubber beeper 5.4 willlimit the front and back rocking motion. between said pfififi i.

It will be seen that there has been devised and provided a; hi hly eflieient formoof, artificial limb whichtwilli be relativelyinexpensive to. manufactureiandaproduce While theorefenred embodiment of the instant inventionhas, b enrillu trotedand: escribe t will be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention thereto, as minor changes in detail of construction may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An artificial limb comprising a hollow leg supportingcalf portion and a foot portion associated therewith, a series of substantially U-shaped laterally disposed springs having rearwardly protruding ends detachably connected between said calf portion and said foot portion, and snubber means for limiting the relative move- 'ment between said portions.

2. An artificial limb comprising a hollow leg supporting calf portion and a foot portion associated therewith, a series of substantially U-shaped laterally disposed springs having rearwardly protruding ends; detachably connected between said calf portion and said foot portion, a snubber keeper on said foot portion, and a cooperating snubber linger on said calf portion adapted. to, limitthe forward and backward motion between said parts.

3. artificial limb comprising a hollow leg sup-porting calf portion and a foot portion associated therewith, a series of substantially Ueshaped laterally disposed springs having rearwardl-y protrudingends detachably connected be,- tweensaid calfportion and said foot portion, snubber means for limitingv the relative movement between; said portions, and cushioning means between said calfi portion and the interconnected vLl-sljiaped laterally disposed springs.

4. An artificial limb comprising a hollow leg supporting calf portion and a foot portion associated therewith, a series of substantially e haped; laterally disposedsprings having-rearwa-rdl-y protruding ends; detachably connected between said calf portion and said foot portion, and movement limiting means disposed at the front and rear of said calf portion.

5.. An artificial, limb. comprising a hollow leg supporting calf portion and a foot portion associated" therewith, a series of substantially u-shaped laterally disposed springs having rearwardly protrudingends detachably connected between said calf portion and said foot portion, rigid snubber means at the rear of said calf portion between the, same and said foot portion, and cushioning means at the front of said calf portion for engagement with said springs for cushioning and limiting the movement between said calf portion and said foot portion.

6. An artificial limb comprising a hollow leg supporting calf portion and a foot portion associated therewith, a series of substantially u-shaped laterally disposed springs having rearwarclly protruding ends detachably connected between said cal-f portion and said foot portion, the opposite ends of said springs being welded together asunits, andclamping means for attaching the same respectively to said calf portion and said foot DOIWQH. I 7. An artificial limb, comprising a hollow leg supporting calf portion, and a foot portion associated therewith, a series of substantially ll-shaped laterally disposed springs having rearwardly protruding ends welded together to form. units, andcooperating interengaging U-shaped clamping plates disposed-about. the, opposite ends of said springs, and secured respectively to. said ,cdi p tl a and t -said mot ortion,

8. An artificial limb comprising a hollow leg supporting calf portion and a hollow foot portion associated therewith, a series of substantially U-shaped double coil springs having rearwardly protruding ends welded together to form units, clamping plates secured to the terminal ends of said springs for securing the same respectively to the calf portion and to the foot portion, snubber means interposed between said calf portion and foot portion, and means engageable by said springs for limiting the forward and backward movement of said foot portion with respect to said calf portion.

EDWIN C. CARTER.

The following references are REFERENCES CITED file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number of record in the Name Date Palmer Feb. 20, 1849 Wilcox Aug. 24, 1858 

